In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, students from 15 universities and colleges across North America competed in St. Petersburg, Florida, in the annual “Capture the Flag” (CTF) challenge organized by financial firm Raymond James, where they defended against potential hacking threats.
BCIT’s team from the Bachelor of Technology in Forensic Investigation: Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Option (DFCS) which included Captain Micko Rada and Matthew Ang, Gian Gravela, Radoslaw Panowek, and Cameron Woolfries, returned having clinched 6th place out of 15 competing teams.
The team formed in mid-June, drawn from the full-time program, which now has a fall and winter intake, as well as Flexible Learning students working towards their degree part time. Most are in the early part of their second year.
In preparation for competition, the students identified their individual strengths, such as file analysis, networking, and cryptography, so they could plan how to distribute tasks most effectively. They also joined other CTF events and competitions in the lead up, and worked with DFCS Program Head Raymond Yu who help provide guidance regarding problem solving, time management, communication, and teamwork. Last year’s team captain Gary Khodayari and his teammate Brandon Wittet came back to help out, giving details on what to expect and watch out for.
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International cybersecurity competitors
“In Florida the team faced an 8-hour-long challenge,” explains Raymond. “There are simulated scenarios of an organization getting attacked, and the teams must find the hack, which is a hidden flag.”
Throughout the day the team is battling the clock, looking through files for these hidden flags which yield points and enable them to move to the next challenge. There are sometimes parallel unexpected challenges, which this year involved flying a drone over a course.
“Competing in the Raymond James CTF was an incredible chance to push our cybersecurity skills against talented teams from the U.S.,” the team reported. “Facing off against 14 other teams was intense, but it was rewarding to see how our preparation and teamwork paid off.”
Beyond the competition, the team was pleased to also get a taste of local culture and sights: “the trip was unforgettable!”
“I’m so proud of our team,” says Raymond. “They were recommended by their instructors for this opportunity and they really came through.”
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Feature photo at top, left to right: Gian Gravela, Raymond Yu, Micko Rada, Radoslaw Panowek, Cameron Woolfries, Matthew Ang